


Remembering

by FenrisKin



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Memories, The Fade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 08:23:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3112841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FenrisKin/pseuds/FenrisKin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Solas visits treasured memories to help with his grief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remembering

**Author's Note:**

> This is set after Solas' personal mission,when the Spirit of Wisdom dies, but before he gets back to Skyhold.

The place where Wisdom had been was beautiful, but bitter-sweet. Already his own memories of the spirit were vanishing from the Fade, and eventually he turned elsewhere for comfort. He closed his eyes and followed his heart.

 

 _Haven_. He thought, when his eyes opened. _Of course it's Haven_. He was in the dungeon where Ellena had been kept, where he had kept her alive as the Anchor tried to rip her body apart.

 

_“She is very beautiful.” The Nightingale's voice was, as always, soft. Solas barely registered the words, too preoccupied with trying to solve the puzzle this elven warrior presented him. Her body arched in agony every time the Breach pulsed, the anchor searing itself just a little further along her skin. But despite the phenomenal amount of pain it must cause, she remained unconscious._

“ _Hm?” He replied, only just aware of Leliana's presence. The woman smiled sadly._

“ _I said, she is very beautiful. Don't you think?”_

“ _I haven't really had the time to focus on anything other than keeping her alive, Sister.” Solas replied tersely. The elf's body arched again, joints cracking, and once again Solas poured healing energy into her. The door shut behind him as Leliana left, and the elven woman's body was still once more._

_He hadn't really noticed before but... yes, there was a beauty there. You could almost trace her heritage back to the Ancient Elvhen in her features._

 

She had woken up, of course, and surprised him by fighting her way to him and Varric, ignoring any toll the Anchor must have taken on her body. She had sealed the rifts, briefly and tentatively closed the Breach with the power she had... and then she had sought him out.

 

_“Because you know more than anyone about the Fade, and I would like to learn.” This was a woman who led the hunts for her clan. A warrior perhaps worthy of her ancestry. Solas had sighed at the time and started to explain – what could a warrior know about magic, and the Fade especially – but she proved herself a quick-thinker and easily followed his explanations._

“ _... much as your muscles are an enjoyable side-effect of wielding the weapons you do.” He concluded. Ellena's lips quirked in a half-smile._

“ _You find my muscles enjoyable?” Solas blinked. Tried to think of a response. Couldn't. How could he tell her that watching the precision with which she swung her great sword was akin to watching the precision of artwork being created? Of course he found her muscles enjoyable; anyone who didn't was a fool._

“ _I meant that you enjoy having your muscles.” He said, amazed the words didn't trip out of his mouth. Her strong façade faltered and suddenly she looked unsure of herself._

“ _But yes, I do.” Just like that, her uncertainty vanished, and her eyes gleamed with... something. Suddenly he felt like a wolf caught in a hunter's sight._ Idiot! _He cursed himself._ Now she thinks you're interested. _But there was another voice, in the back of his head._

Aren't you?

 

Stood in front of the gates, Solas watched as she faced down Corypheus and his dragon without flinching, and was awestruck. She snarled her defiance before she brought the mountain crashing down over Haven... and herself. Even though he knew it was just a memory, he couldn't help himself reach out to try and pull her to safety as the snow rolled over everything.

 

“ _Why here?”_ Hearing the voice behind him so clearly, Solas whipped around and came face to face with himself.

“ _It is familiar to you. You will always be a part of Haven.”_ Of course, the latest memory of her would be the one in the Fade itself, all the fresher for her having been here. Things looked slightly.. wrong, however. He was sure he didn't look exactly like that, and the way she was looking at him...

He could have kicked himself. He wasn't watching his memories, he was watching hers! He was seeing the whole conversation through her eyes. _Is that really how she sees me?_

 

_“In that moment, I felt the whole world change forever.” Her eyes widened, and she was sure that wasn't what he had meant but... what if it was?_

“ _You... felt the world change?” Thank the Creators he words came out calmly! Solas turned back to face her._

“ _A figure of speech.” He said dismissively. Ellena groaned inside; she was sure he was completely missing everything._

“ _I know what it was, Solas. Did you really feel the world change?”_ Come on, Solas _, she thought._ Pick up on the real question and answer it, one way or another. _Hie smiled slightly as he met her gaze._

“ _Yes, I suppose I did.” He replied softly. She chuckled._

“ _Sweet talker.” He blinked, and looked away, clearly unsure of himself. She took a breath._ Now or never.

_She cupped his face and brought him around to face her and before she could lose her courage, planted a kiss on his lips. Just a peck, nothing serious, something easily apologised for if she was wrong. She stepped away and stared at him, ready to apologise or be rejected. Instead, he reached out, pulled her close and kissed her deeply._

 

“A beautiful memory.” A sensuous voice at his ear startled him and he whipped around, staff at the ready. A desire demon stood before him, clearly enjoying the explosion of passion Ellena's memory was giving off.

“Begone, demon; there is nothing for you here.” He snarled. The demon stretched sensually and grinned at him.

“You wish to claim this place for your own, my dear? You are but a trespasser, and here I am at my most powerful.” The threat would have been well-heeded to anyone else. Luckily, he was not anyone else. He took off his cloak and let the creature see his true face. The demons eyes widened and she fled without a backwards glance.

Solas glanced over his shoulder. The memory was starting again, and Ellena had such a beautiful mind. He settled himself comfortably against a nearby wall, and watched until his heartache was lessened.

 


End file.
